Determinants of Public Satisfaction and Perception of National Healthcare Services Availability in Jordan: A Patient Survey

Aims: This study aims to assess Jordanian public satisfaction with healthcare services.

Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used.

Place and Duration of Study: Data were collected from 571 Jordanian participants in the period between June 2016 and November 2016.

Methodology: Participants were Jordanians 18 or older, and visited a hospital (tertiary healthcare centres) in the last three weeks were conveniently recruited. A study questionnaire was constructed by the researcher to assess public satisfaction; it was grounded on previous literature and the author’s personal experience. The satisfaction measurement consisted of 30 variables.

Results: The mean age of participants was 34.7 (SD 13.6 years) and most of them were females. Most of the participants (58.8%) were not satisfied and the mean total satisfaction score was low at 159.6 (SD 54.9). Participants who were more educated lived in the southern region, and regularly visited healthcare settings reported lower (not satisfied) satisfaction scores.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that higher proportion of Jordanian patients were not satisfied with the healthcare services provided. The determinants of patients’ satisfaction were not completely dependent on the actual medical or nursing care. The identified determinants of patient satisfaction should inform satisfaction indicators when developing satisfaction measurement tools, whether in clinical or research settings.